Valve in head double action bell ringer for locomotive engines



Aug. 4, 1931. G. w. GILL 1,317,032

VALVE-IN'HEAD DOUBLE ACTION BELL RINGER FOR LOCOMOTIVEv ENGINES Filed March 23. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l G. W. GILL Filed March 23. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 4, 1931.

vALvh-IN-HEAD DOUBLE ACT'ION BELL RINGER FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES QM N Patented Aug. 4, 1931 cairn STATES PATENT QFFHIE GEORGE W. GILL, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER E. KNOPP, OF

' BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN VALVE IN HEAD DOUBLE ACTION BELL RINGER FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES Application filed March 23, 1927. Serial No. 177,550.

The present invention relates to automatic bell ringers for steam locomotives. Automatic bell ringers of the nature set forth, to the best of my knowledge and belief, do not properly function at all times,

respecting a predetermined movement for oscillating the bell yoke. Ringers of this character often permit a bell to careen, destroying the rhythm of the bell tone, twisting the bell rope, and destroying is use for the purpose, and entailing expense for its replacement. The present invention has for its purpose to overcome these disadvantages, and to provide a bell ringer that, barring accidental breakage and wear, will always properly function.

characteristic feature, and important object of the present invention is a valve, having an elongated venti-duct stem, opening below a tapering elongated head thereof; said head being operable in a tubular seat suspended from a casing, forming an air chamber above, and about the upper end of said cylinder, saidvalve adapted to receive air from said chamber when its elongated stem is pushed upward by an upper thrust of the piston operable in said cylinder, striking said stem unseating said valve, and admitting air from said chamber to react said piston automatically.

My invention has for its main object to so construct a fluid pressure operated bell ringer, whereby the upward movement of said bell will be limited by a cushion of air controlling the piston, and pitman connected with the bell crank.

Another object or my invention, is to so construct a mechanism for the purpose, whereby the stroke of the operating piston will always be uniform; still another object is to so construct a device for the purpose, whereby the piston will automatically seal, and unseal its intake, and exhaust ports during operation. O.her objects include staunchness in construction, simplicity, durability, neatness in design, and economy to produce. V

Inthe drawings forming a part of these specifications, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal side elevation. of my improved bell ringer in cross-section', showing the bell at idle, the operating piston at the bottom of its stroke, the

intake port to the cylinder open, and the exhaust port closed.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, except, in this view the bell is being carried on its upward movement and the piston is at the limit of its upward power stroke and the intake port is closed, and the exhaust port is opened.

Fig. 3 is a similar View of F ig. 1, with the bell thrown to its uppermost limit of movement, the exhaust port remaining open, and the valve-inhead raised to admit live air for cushioning the piston and preventing the bell from overturning.

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the bell bracket and the bell operative crank and pitman.

Fig. inder.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the air cylinder head on the line A. B. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of Fig. 2, with 5 is a side elevation of the air cylmetallic casingC, closed at its lower end and capped by a chambered centrally apertured head D, between the parts of which an apertured gasket 1, is interposed and the parts held in place by means of cap screws 2, in the customary manner. The upper half of the cylinder casing is formed with an enlarged V bore, and this enlarged portion forms a concentric chamber 3, spaced from the main chaniber i of the cylinder by a bushing 5, extending'from near the lower head of said 07lice inder to a line on'the plane with the top of said casing.

WVithin the cylinder a spool-shaped piston 26, is placed the upper head of which carries a series of sealing rings in the usual manner, the lower head being made to slide freely and without sealing.

Leading into the lower portion of the concentric air space 3, a pipe for air connects by means of. a nipple 6, of the cylinder.

The head D, forms an air tight chamber at the upper cylinder end, and is secured to the cylinder casing, G by means of cap screws 2,

passing through a peripheral flange of said head, and into a complemenial' flange about theend of said casing as shown.

: Between the head D, and the casing C,,and

also between the upper end of the bushing 5, and the concentric interior portion 9, of said head, an air tight gasketjl is placed. At points in said gasket, apertures 15 connect the chamber 3 of the cylinder with the chamber 16 of the head D.

piston rod 13operates. said isformed with a series of elongated grooveslt, (See Figs. 6 and 8) 30.

Centrallyof the head D, a neck 10 connects with the'part 9, and through said parts a bushing 12 is fitted, and through Which the The bushing aforeh p which open into the piston chamber of the cylinder at their ends, but do not extend to the upper end of said bushing, as will hereinafter be more fully explained. I I

To one side of the piston bushing, and piercing the head D, and its interior portion "9',the parts are bored and fitted with a thimble 17, and a bushing 18, respectively; the thimble '17 forming a guide for the head of the intakevalve 19, the bushing 18 providing a guide and seat for said valve.

"This valve below its head 18 an elongated tube opening at its juncture with its tapering seat, through small apertures, not shown, and

at its lower end, and when seated seals the chamber 16 from the cylinder. Theunseat ing of said valve is effected by an upper movement ofthe sealed or ring portion of the pistive positions.

ton in the operation of device, as will be hereintake, or exhaust ports, 24 and 25 respectively, it being considerably narrower than thespacebetween the piston heads, which in themovement of said piston move saidring to cover and uncover said ports; as for in- This ring is of a length sufliciently stance when said piston is at its lowermost position in the cylinder, said ring will occupy a position immediately below the intake port 2 1, as shown in Fig. 1, at which position the exhaust port 25 will be closed by the floating ring 23, and the intake port 24; will be opened.

As will be noticed when the piston is at its lowermost position in the cylinder the chamfer 26 on the under side of the upper head of the piston registerswith the intake port 24, whilst at its uppermost position the chamfer 27 on the upper side of the lower piston head re isters with the exhaust port 25, permitting the air or fluid between the heads to escape.

In Figs. 2 the piston is shown over the exhaust port 25, and it would be obvious that a downward movement of the piston would be cushioned by imprisoned fluid in the cylinder below the exhaust port 25 were no provision made to prevent said cusl'iioning. This cushioning eiiect is avoided by a slight looseness between the lower head of the piston and the cylinder wall and by further providing a cross groove 32 in the lower head of said piston adapted to register with said port.

As heretofore disclosed both piston heads are chamtered or have cut-away portions 26 and 27, which at predetermined operating movements of said piston, register with the intake and exhaust ports of the cylinder. The ports 21 registering with the chamfer 26 on the under side of the upper piston head; the chamfer 2'? being on the upper edge of the under piston. head as shown. These chamfers or notches are of a size sufficiently proportioned to permit air to enter and leave the cylinder between the ring 23 and a piston head, when the latter is moved into contacting position and one or the other of said ports register herewith, examples of which are shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 8'. 1

Referring again to the grooves 14 in the bushing 12, these grooves are positioned in such manner that when the piston rod 13 is near its lower position sealing rings 28, seated in annular grooves in said rod will be moved into a position between the ends of said grooves, and permit air within the cyl- I inder, above the upper piston head, to flow by 5 said sealing rings and escape into, the atmosphere through the gland 12 and the piston rod as shown in Fig; 1; the looseness be tween said rod and its gland allowing for air tothus escape.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the intake valve 19 is seated and will not permit air under pressure to enter the upper chamber of the cylinder, 1 V r Having in the main described the constructionof my improved bell ringer, I will now explain its operation. Air having been directed to the cylinder through a suitable conduct connecting with the nipple 6, it will flow into the concentric chamber 3, and fill and 3, the lower heads 21, of

iii)

llhi

the chamber surrounding the upper head D thereof;

' and the'upper piston head from the chamber u and into space between the piston heads; 7 as the exhaust port 25 1S sealed by said ring I 23, and the sealing rings 28 about the piston rod as positioned to permit air in the upper portion of the cylinder to pass out through the grooves 14, the piston will be carried upward, carrying the bell to its upper stroke as shown in Fig. 3. As will be noticed in this particular view, the bell is carried to its uppermost position withthe crank pin 29 at the outer end of the slot 80, in the pitinan 31, at which position the upper thrust of the pitman has stopped, and the thrust imparted from the stroke of the piston had been ourtailed by a cushion of air entering the cylinder through the valve-in-head 19. Air having entered the cylinder through said valve, the opening of which had been affected by the piston elevating to unseat the same, and the sealing of the cylinder by the rings 28 on the piston rod closing the gland or bushing 12, the gravity force of the bell on its downward movement will return said piston; it being understood that during the movement of the piston in its upward thrust the sealing ring 23 between the piston heaos has also been carried upward by the piston head 21 unseating the exhaust port 24, preparing the piston for a downward movement in said cylinder by a downward movement of said bell and connective parts and the fluid having entered the piston chamber via the valve 19.

In Fig. 3, the piston is shown as having carried the sealing ring 23 beyond the exhaust port 25, and leaving the lower piston head over said port. Such condition is caused by the momentum imparted to both the bell and piston, by the inrush of air, but owing to the counter balance, effected by air entering the upper chamber to the cylinder through the valve-in-head 19, the piston, together with the bell will be prevented from further upward movement, yet unrestrained in its downward throw.

The" arrangement of the parts is such that should it be necessary to turn the bell over by hand when idle. and not limited by the cushion of air entering the cylinder through the valve 19, in other words when air is cut off from entering the air cylinder, the piston 26 will raise within the cylinder sufliciently to permitthe pitman 31 to let the bell carry over. In Fig. 3 is shown he limit of the upward movement of a bell when cushioned to prevent further upward and over movement of the same. In this view is also shown sufficient open space between the cylinder head and the piston to permit its connection with said bell, to turn over, should occasion arise,

when air under pressure has been cut oil from entering the cylinder.

From the foregoing description, the objects, general utility, and advantages of my invention, it is believed, will have been fully comprehended.

Having therefore set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class set forth the combination of a cylinder having two chambered compartments, one compartment 'conr prising a piston chamber, the other compartment constituting an air supply chamber surrounding said piston chamber for a portion of its lengh and its head at one end, a reciprocative piston operable in said piston chamber and having a pis- .ton stein operable through a gland extending through said air supply ohaml'ier, said cylinder having air inlet into said air chamber and an exhaust port leading in;o said piston chamber near its end opposite from said gland and an intake port leading from said air chamber into said piston chain- 361' approximately its center and a gland opening through said head between said air chamber and piston chamber, a valve operable through said gland, amenable to admit air from said air chamber into said piston chamber by an upward contact of said piston with said valve and cushion a further upward movement of said piston, said valve seating by gravity action, said piston adapted to be moved toward and into contact with"- -S2i1 Cl valve by the admission of air through said intake port, said gland about said piston stem forming an exhaust port for that end of said piston chamber through means carried by said stem to alternately seal andunseal said gland at predetermined movements of said piston and valve.

2. In a device of the class set forth, the combination with a cylinder, a piston operative in said cylinder, an encompassing sup ply chamber for said cylinder hermetically sealed therefrom, but communicative tl erewith through a port governed by the action of said piston, a piston rod extending from said piston through a gland leading through said supply chamber, a tappet valve through the wall between said supply chamber and said cylinder, a tappet valve operative in said opening a thimble forming a guide for the head of said valve in the outer wall of"- said supply chamber, said valve adapted to admit air from said. supply chamber into saidcylinder by the uplift of said valve by said piston, and means including grooves in said gland and sealing rings on said piston rod to alternately open and close said gland for the purpose of compression and exhaust, during the operation of said piston and said valve substantially as set forth.

In a device of the class set forth, the

.combination of a cylinder having two com partinents, oneof said compartments comprising a piston chamber the other of said compartment constituting a concentric chamher about the upper end of said piston chamber, and a portable head portion over and about said cylinder portion, said head portion having a central neck and a connective flange adapted to seat on and close the upper end of said piston chamber, a gasket interposed between the end of said piston cham her and sa1d flange and adapted to also he between the outer wall of said head and the i upper end of said concentric compartment,

, able in said valve controlled port,.a frictional contact ring carried in said piston chamber between the heads of said piston, said piston chamber having an exhaust port, said tappet valve being closed antecedent to an upward movement of said piston thereagainst, said intake and exhaust ports being alternately opened and closed by said floating ring, the former port being closed antecedent to said piston engaging said tappet valve and the latter port being opened, and means to release-fluid pressure above said piston in said piston chamber to'said piston opening said tappet valve.

4. In a device of the nature set forth, the

- combination of a cylinder having two compartments including a chambered head, one

of said compartments forming an outer chamber concentric wlth the upper end of a central piston chamber, sa1d chambered head,

' having an outer wall adapted to seat on the engaging said valve.

the heads of said piston adaptedto open and close said intake and exhaust ports, in its reciprocal movement within said piston chamber, a tappet valve operable through the gland of said disc-shaped end, said gland being closed by said tappet valve when said piston recedes from contact therewith, and opened to admit fluid pressure from said outer chamber, when said piston is at its uppermost position, and means to release compression between said valverand the upper head of said piston subsequent to said head GEORGE W. GILL.

upper end of said outer chamber, said head.

having an inner concentric centrally apertured neck with a depending disc-shaped end, said disc-shapedend adapted to seat on I the uper end of said piston chamber, a spool piston operable in said piston chamber and having a piston rod adapted to operate through said centrally apertured neck of said head, said disc-shaped end of said neck portion having a gland opening connecting said piston chamber with the chambered portion of said head, said piston chamber having an intake port connecting with said outer chamber near the lower end of said outer chamber and an exhaust port near the lower end of said piston chamber, a fric-' tional contact floating ring carried between 

